MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The eighth-ranked Slippery Rock University field hockey team continued its storybook start to the season with a 2-1 win on the road at Millersville University in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference opener Saturday from Biemesderfer Stadium.
The Rock improve to 8-0 overall and 1-0 in the PSAC while also snapping a 20-game losing skid in the series against Millersville. SRU extends its streaks for the best start in program history and the longest winning streak in program history. The Marauders drop to 3-6 overall and 0-1 in PSAC action.
Slippery Rock wasted little time in getting on the board Saturday when freshman
Josie Shultz buried a penalty stroke just 3:57 into the first period to make it 1-0.
Millersville answered and found the tying goal with a 3:30 left in the first half with a goal from Lani Derickx.
Neither team could find a go-ahead goal in the third period, but the hosts flipped the field and controlled much of the play. Millersville put up a 6-0 advantage in corners and shots in the third, but SRU goalie
Sam Black made three saves and The Rock defense maintained the 1-1 tie.
Slippery Rock returned the favor in the fourth quarter and flipped the field back the other way, earning a 7-1 edge over Millersville in penalty corners in the final 15 minutes. One of those corners turned out to be the biggest moment of the game and it was a pair of SRU freshmen that made it count.
After an initial shot from
Paige Shannon was blocked, Shultz found the rebound and send a shot toward the goal that was deflected by
Tatiana Calderon and found its way into the cage to make it 2-1 with just under eight minutes to play. It marked the first career goal for Calderon and would stand as the game-winner.
The SRU defense maintained the advantage through the buzzer to send The Rock to 8-0 on the year.
Shultz finished with one goal and one assist and Calderon finished with one goal to account for the scorers.
Lucy Hutchinson had two shots.
Black finished the game with six saves to improve to 8-0 in goal this fall.
Millersville finished witih a 13-7 advantage in total shots and a 7-3 edge in shots on goal. Slippery Rock posted an 11-10 edge in penalty corners and a 6-1 advantage in saves.
Slippery Rock will now face its most daunting test of the season with a pair of games against the No.1 and No. 2 teams in the country next week. The Rock will travel to defending national champion and second-ranked Shippensburg Wednesday for a 4 p.m. game before returning home to host No. 1 Kutztown next Saturday at 11 a.m. After the results of Saturday's games, Slippery Rock and Kutztown will enter next week as the only undefeated Division II teams in the country.
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